my foot, and the jewels in her ear; O, would she were hers'd at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin. No news of them; why fo! and I know not what's spent in the fearch: why, thou lofs upon lofs! the thief gone with fo much, and fo much to find the thief; and no fatisfaction, no revenge, nor no ill luck stirring, but what lights o' my fhoulders; no fighs but o' my breathing, no tears but o' my fhedding. Tub. Yes, other men have ill luck too; Anthonio, as I heard in Gencua Shy. What, what, what? ill' luck, ill luck? Tub. Hath an Argofie caft away, coming from Tripolis. Shy. I thank God, I thank God; is it true? is it true? Tub. I fpoke with fome of the failors that escaped the wreck. Shy. I thank thee, good Tubal; good news, good news; ha, ha, where in Genoua? Tub. Your daughter spent in Genoua, as I heard, one night, fourfcore ducats. Shy. Thou ftick'st a dagger in me; I fhall never fee my gold again; fourfcore ducats at a fitting, fourfcore ducats! Tub. There came divers of Anthonio's creditors in my company to Venice, that fwear he cannot chufe but break. Shy. I am glad of it, I'll plague him, I'll torture him; I am glad of it. Tub. One of them fhew'd me a ring, that he had of your daughter for a monkey. Shy. Out upon her! thou tortureft me, Tubal; it was my Turquoife, I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor; I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkies. Tub. But Anthonio is certainly undone. Shy. Nay, that's true, that's very true; go fee me an officer, befpeak him a fortnight before. I will have the heart of him, if he forfeit; for were he out of Venice, I can make what merchandize I will: go: go, Tubal, and meet me at our fynagogue; go, good Tue bal; at our fynagogue, Tubal. [Exeunt. SCENE SCENE changes to Belmont. Enter Baffanio, Portia, Gratiano, and Attendants. The Cafkets are fet out. Por. I Pray you, tarry, paufe a day or two, But left you should not understand me well, I fpeak too long, but 'tis to piece the time, Bal. Let me chufe: For as I am, I live upon the rack. Por. Upon the rack, Baffanio? then confefs, What treason there is mingled with your love. Baff. None, but that ugly treafon of mistrust, Which makes me fear th' enjoying of my love: There may as well be amity and life 'Tween fnow and fire, as treason and my love. Por. Ay, but I fear you fpeak upon the rack; F 5 Por Por. Well then, confess and live. Had been the very fum of my confeffion. Por. Away then! I am lockt in one of them; Let mufick found, while he doth make his choice; A Song, whilft Bassanio comments on the caskets to himself. Tell me, where is fancy bred, Or in the heart, or in the head ? Reply, reply. It is engender'd in the eye, With gazing fed, and fancy dies : I'll begin it. Ding, dong, bell. All. Ding, dong, bell. Baff. So may the outward fhows be leaft themfelves ; The fkull, that bred them, in the fepulchre. The feeming truth which cunning times put on (16) is but the gilded here] I have reftor'd, on the authority of the old 4tos and Folio impreffions, guiled, i. e. guily, furnish'd for deceit, made to betray. The poet ufes the participle paffive in an active fignification; as, vice verfa, it will be found, upon obfervation, that he employs the active participle paffively. To give a fingle inftance from K. Lear; Who, by the art of known and feeling forrows, For feeling forrows here means forrows that make themselves felt. Hard Hard food for Midas, I will none of thee: Nor none of thee, thou pale and common drudge Por. How all the other paffions fleet to air, [Opening the leaden cafket. Ba. What find I here? The fubftance of my praife doth wrong this fhadow Doth limp behind the fubftance. Here's the fcrowl, Chance as fair, and chufe as true: (17) Thy palenefs moves me more than eloquence ;] Baffanio is dif pleas'd at the golden cafket for its gardinefs, and the filver one for its palenefs; but, what! is he charm'd with the leaden one for having the very fame quality that difpleas'd him in the filver? The poet never intended fuch an abfurd reasoning. He certainly wrote, Thy plainnefs moves me more than eloquence; This characterizes the lead from the filver, which paleness does not, they being both pale. Befides, there is a beauty in the antithefis between plainnefs and eloquence; between paleness and eloquence, none. Mr. Warburton. |